BILLIARD NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 7, 30 April 1920, Page 5

BILLIARD NOTES.

McConacy, the expert billiard player, will give an exhibition tournament in the Civic Billiard -Saloon, on \Ycdnesday, April 7th. LONG IN-OFF THE WHITE AFTER TPIE BALLS ARE TOUCHING. With tlie very hest of players, as well as with the average player, the cue-hall will not infrequently remain in contact with an object ball after playing a cannon. When this happens with a professional player, it is, as a rule, during a run of close nursery cannons ; but a touching of the balls may occur to any player from the most unlikely positions. The touching of the cue ball with another ball has two entiuely different aspects, viz., when it eauses good position to be compulsorily ahandoned, and when it rescues a player from a practicaily impossible scoring position. When the cue ball remains in contact- with another ball, the red, of course, goes on the billiard spot and the w'nite on the centre spot. When the balls are so placed, the stroke that is almost invariably played nowadays is an in-off from the white into one of the top pockets. Whichever pocket is selected, the stroke is absolutely the same, both as to itself and the after position. Most players, however, perhaps from habit, always play for the same pocket — somc for the left, others for the right. The stroke shotild be played as a lialf-ball one, without the use of side, and to make the correct angle the cue ball should be spoited ahout 31in from the end of the D when ' playing with ivory balls. With the old Bonzoline balls, tlie cue ball had to be ( spotted nearly 2in nearer the end of the i D, but with the latest make of these balls it is only necessary to spot about half a.n inch nearer, and with Crystalate balls the j angle for this stroke is practicaily the I same as with ivory balls. I Speaking generally, the hest way of j playirtg tho in-off is by means of a nice free stroke of sufficient pace to causo the

object white to strike the side cushioj^ top cushion, and side cushion, and finallj to come to rest in good position for an inoff into the centre pocket. Unfortunately, the strength of different tables varies se very greatly that a stroke which leaves perfect position on a fast table might, if played in the same way, and with the same strength, on a slower table, leave very bad position. In this case the object ball has simply not travelled far eaiough. Of course, it would be quite possible to score from this position, but no shot would be anything like a certainty for any player. }- r In the shot under discussion, ihe object bali has to strike three cushions, and, naturally, each oontact takes a lot of pac^ out of the ball. On a very slow table the white requires a lot of driving to bring it right round into position, and, in attempt. ing to do this, one might easily put too much strength into the stroke, and tkus miss the pocket by making the shot ap. proach a forcing stroke. In any case, when playing the stroke at a pretty fast pace, though not at forcing pace, the cue ball should aiways be placed half an inch or so nearer the end of the D to allow for the somewhat stronger than normal fmpact between tho balls. When the object ball is struck a true half -ball, it will strike the side cushion at a point about twenty-seven inches from the top pocket, travel round the table, but, without the in-off being misaed, a so-to-speak somewhat thin half ball in-off will sometimes cause the object ball to kiss the red as it rebounds from the top cushion, or even to go behind the redj but if the stroke 'be at all well played tha object white should aiways pass in fron^ of the red.